Labor candidate vows to quit if Gillard mess not resolved

LESS than three months out from the federal election, Labor candidate for Flynn Chris Trevor has threatened to quit the race if his party's leadership "debacle" is not resolved by Friday.

Mr Trevor said the ALP had turned into a soap opera and it had damaged his local campaign to the point where nobody knew what they were voting for.

"I'm so frustrated as a candidate to see this going on," Mr Trevor said. "I can't get my messages across; all anyone wants to do is talk about the leadership issues."

After losing the seat in 2010 to current sitting member Ken O'Dowd, Mr Trevor was selected to recontest in April.

He is facing a margin of 3.6% but has warned he will reconsider his position if the ALP's issues aren't sorted out this week.

"I ain't a quitter. I would never walk away from a fight," he said. "But I'm sick of it. Why should I bother?"

Whether it was by secret ballot or Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd stepping up and calling the spill, Mr Trevor said the issue needed to be dealt with once and for all.

The candidate, who sought Mr Rudd's blessing before his latest tilt at the seat, fears the leadership speculation and internal tussles have damaged local Queensland campaigns to the point where "nobody's listening".

"Why am I wasting my time and effort if I can't get any clean air?" he said.

"Why? Why would you do it? You've got to question your sanity.''

Current member for the Gladstone-based seat of Flynn Mr O'Dowd agreed the real issues affecting Flynn were being missed because of the ongoing leadership speculation.